Overestimation and underestimation of patient blood loss is a significant contributor to high operating and surgical costs for hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities. Specifically, overestimation of patient blood loss results in wasted transfusion-grade blood and higher operating costs for medical institutions and can lead to blood shortages. Underestimation of patient blood loss is a key contributor of delayed resuscitation and transfusion in the event of hemorrhage and has been associated with billions of dollars in avoidable patient infections, re-hospitalizations, ad lawsuits annually.
Thus, there is a need in the surgical field for a new and useful method for estimating a quantity of a blood component in a fluid canister. This invention provides such a new and useful system and method.